American Modernist Poetry

This course will be an opportunity to delve deep into modernist innovation, from revolutions in the poetic line to reinvigorated verse forms. We will attend to both new complexities and a new premium on direct expression, working our way through nuances of technique. Our readings will trace lyric and epic ambitions; broken and revived forms; new voices and ancient ones. In addition, we will read manifestos, diatribes, and critiques that extend beyond the literary realm to work through modern crises of expression and survival. We will turn, too, to key theories and histories of modernism and modernity in order to situate the literary innovations within the period. Course requirements: short response papers, in-class presentation, and a final research paper.